George Dempsey - 15-Aug-2016

Steaua Bucharest vs Man City Betting tips and Match Predictions

Pep Guardiola got off to a winning start as City boss. They made hard work of it at times, but I think they’ll have an easier time of it in Bucharest on
Tuesday night. The hosts aren’t to be over looked, but we know City have the quality to dictate here. Below is our match preview, prediction and betting
tips.

Game: Steaua Bucharest vs Man City

Venue: Arena Naţională

Kick-off: 1945pm, Tuesday 16th August

Manchester City got off to a winning start on Saturday evening, although it may have been closer that a lot of people had expected. Not for us as we fully
expected Sunderland to get on the score sheet. Sergio Aguero scored, but we were just short of a correct score line (3-1) as City triumphed 2-1. In
the end, Pep would just have been pleased to open his City account.

City have an arguably more testing game to come on Tuesday as they have to travel to Bucharest and face a plucky Romanian side who have a strong record
at home in the Champions League.

That’s not to say they’ve fared well against the likes of City’s quality, having lost 4-0 to Chelsea in 2013. They’ve lost their last eight at home against
what I would call ‘strong European teams’, the likes of Sevilla, Arsenal, Madrid, Bayern, Lyon, etc. They’ve not challenged those teams.

The hosts are a few games in to their season and they’ve already come through one round of Champions League games, beating Sparta 3-1 on aggregate. Their
cause was helped by a red card. Their previous home wins came against Aktobe, Ludogorets and Stromsgodset. OK teams, but by no means a challenge.

Match Predictions and Betting Tips

City are best priced 4/9 at Sky Bet which I think is kind. The draw is priced at 4/1 with Bet365, whilst the home team ‘could’, but probably won’t, pull off a shock at best odds of 13/2 with Bet Victor.

For me the odds make this one seem like it could be closer than it eventually will be. No problems saying City will definitely advance over two legs, but
I’d expect them to win both games. Pep understands the importance of the Champions League and I would expect a similarly strong line up to the weekend.

Do I think Sergio Aguero will be used though? No. Stoke City away is an early kick off in just four days’ time and Iheanacho has enough in his locker.
I think he’s excellent value as an any time scorer, because he will be priced up as a substitute and could well start this game. Knowing Pep though,
anything is possible. Nolito could play further forward with the likes of Delph and Navas coming in to the side.

You should consider Iheanacho as an option for any time goal scorer.

Man City are growing more and more in to a side that can compete in the Champions League if last year is anything to go by. Their only loss in the group
stage came away, 1-0 against Juventus, and their only loss in the knockout phases was a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid on their travels. They dispatched
PSG comfortably enough holding them 2-2 on their travels, but a good comparison here was their trip to Kyiv. Tough, tough game. If City can come through
that with a 3-1 win, they can win in this environment too.

I do think we will see a more convincing and cutting edge performance. City were dominant on the ball but it wasn’t quite quick passing opportunity creating
Pep football, and that will be an aim of theirs here. I think City can win this by more than one goal which brings us to our free betting tip of Manchester City -1AH at 10/13 with Bet Victor and also my correct score prediction of 2-0 at 7/1 with Unibet.

We’ve ignored Steaua slightly here. They are a capable team, but this is all about how City play on the night.

Free Betting Tip Man City -1AH – 10/13 with Bet Victor

Correct Score Prediction Man City 2-0 – 7/1 with Unibet

Goal-Scorer Prediction Kelechi Iheanacho – 6/5

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